https://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/sundaynews/0,2106,3748021a15620,00.html
By NEIL REID
The controversial Sione Faumuina threatened to quit the Warriors after drunkenly swearing at coach Ivan Cleary and vice-captain Ruben Wiki during a packed public testimonial luncheon.
Warriors bosses talked Faumuina into staying during a crisis meeting on Friday.
But Sunday News has been told he will never play for the Kiwis again while Brian McClennan is coach.
Kiwis bosses were among the crowd of about 500 at Auckland's Ellerslie Convention Centre 10 days ago when Faumuina - who has previously vowed to beat the booze after drunken incidents - yelled out an obscenity during teammate Awen Guttenbeil's testimonial speeches.
Faumuina, who drank wine and beer, later swore at Cleary and Wiki in front of stunned guests.
Faumuina, 25, said his behaviour at the testimonial had been raised at Friday's crisis meeting with Warriors CEO Wayne Scurrah. But he insisted: "It's a dead issue. They were a bit disappointed, but they knew what was going on through my head. It's all cleared now.
"I have decided I want to stay on and play next year. We have both agreed to that. They said they were interested in keeping me."
Scurrah refused to comment publicly on Faumuina's behaviour.
But he said: "I respect the fact he came to me and indicated that he might want a release. But we don't now anticipate that and we want him to stay at the club. We just have to give him the confidence of the club.
"The club really rates him. He is the type of character that is going to benefit more than other people by the club becoming settled.
"He has probably felt unsettled by all the changes and moves - a lot of his teammates have left the club."
The closed-door talks with Scurrah happened just 18 hours after the star back-rower told Sunday News he wanted out of the Warriors, and partly blamed Cleary for costing him a Kiwis spot.
AdvertisementAdvertisementOn Thursday, Faumuina - on an estimated $250,000-a-season contract - said he asked for an early release. It is understood at least one English Super League club was chasing him.
But Faumuina said: "There are heaps of clubs (interested). But I don't want to go to the UK. If I don't stay at the Warriors I want to go to an Australian club - I reckon I could probably do more damage and be more recognised as a player, (by) being in an Australian team."
And Faumuina said Cleary's unsuccessful attempt to convert him from a back-rower to standoff had cost him his Kiwis spot.
"(Moving to standoff) was a decision I thought was right at the time. But it didn't pay off," he said.
"I honestly thought I didn't get a shot. And looking back, it cost me a Kiwi jersey. I lost a bit of weight to try and slim down. Now I am back in the forwards, I am struggling to put weight back on to handle the physical (side of the game)."
McClennan refused to comment but Sunday News has been told Faumuina's on-field performances are not the only reason he is on the outer with the Kiwis.
A source said his bad off-field behaviour had contributed to his not being picked.
Faumuina - who in 2004 publicly vowed never to touch alcohol again - is adamant he did not have a drinking problem, despite his behaviour at Guttenbeil's testimonial and a string of other incidents.
In January 2004, he said: "I will drink until I collapse. When I drink like that, that's when the problems begin to happen. I won't drink again."
His vow came after he king-hit New Zealand Sevens rugby star Alan Bunting in a Whakatane bar.
Faumuina said he was stunned by the venom of Warriors fans after the Bunting attack became public.
He said he was abused by the crowd at Ericsson Stadium after the Warriors were beaten by the Broncos in the season-opener.
"As we were going back into the tunnel people were swearing at me, telling me to `f... off', `don't ever come back' and `you should never be a Warrior'.
"It was when I had gone off the rails a bit - my mind wasn't on footy. It was after the Whakatane incident.
"I honestly wanted to cry in the changing rooms - I didn't want to play any more. It was sad because my mum was just a few rows behind them."
But five months after the Whakatane incident, a blood-covered Faumuina had an early-morning confrontation with a Warriors fan at a south Auckland ATM machine -earning him a suspended $20,000 fine from the NRL club's bosses.
And last year he was involved in an altercation outside an Auckland bar following the Warriors 2005 annual awards dinner.
Faumuina, 25, put part of the blame for his bad behaviour on his frustration at the Warriors' recent poor on-field performances in recent seasons.
"After 2002-03 (when they made the top-four in consecutive seasons), I honestly thought we would go back to the old Warriors," he said.
"Then 2004 came along and we had a pretty bad season.
"Last year we had big expectations and didn't provide the performances and this year again there was the minus four points."
By NEIL REID
The controversial Sione Faumuina threatened to quit the Warriors after drunkenly swearing at coach Ivan Cleary and vice-captain Ruben Wiki during a packed public testimonial luncheon.
Warriors bosses talked Faumuina into staying during a crisis meeting on Friday.
But Sunday News has been told he will never play for the Kiwis again while Brian McClennan is coach.
Kiwis bosses were among the crowd of about 500 at Auckland's Ellerslie Convention Centre 10 days ago when Faumuina - who has previously vowed to beat the booze after drunken incidents - yelled out an obscenity during teammate Awen Guttenbeil's testimonial speeches.
Faumuina, who drank wine and beer, later swore at Cleary and Wiki in front of stunned guests.
Faumuina, 25, said his behaviour at the testimonial had been raised at Friday's crisis meeting with Warriors CEO Wayne Scurrah. But he insisted: "It's a dead issue. They were a bit disappointed, but they knew what was going on through my head. It's all cleared now.
"I have decided I want to stay on and play next year. We have both agreed to that. They said they were interested in keeping me."
Scurrah refused to comment publicly on Faumuina's behaviour.
But he said: "I respect the fact he came to me and indicated that he might want a release. But we don't now anticipate that and we want him to stay at the club. We just have to give him the confidence of the club.
"The club really rates him. He is the type of character that is going to benefit more than other people by the club becoming settled.
"He has probably felt unsettled by all the changes and moves - a lot of his teammates have left the club."
The closed-door talks with Scurrah happened just 18 hours after the star back-rower told Sunday News he wanted out of the Warriors, and partly blamed Cleary for costing him a Kiwis spot.
AdvertisementAdvertisementOn Thursday, Faumuina - on an estimated $250,000-a-season contract - said he asked for an early release. It is understood at least one English Super League club was chasing him.
But Faumuina said: "There are heaps of clubs (interested). But I don't want to go to the UK. If I don't stay at the Warriors I want to go to an Australian club - I reckon I could probably do more damage and be more recognised as a player, (by) being in an Australian team."
And Faumuina said Cleary's unsuccessful attempt to convert him from a back-rower to standoff had cost him his Kiwis spot.
"(Moving to standoff) was a decision I thought was right at the time. But it didn't pay off," he said.
"I honestly thought I didn't get a shot. And looking back, it cost me a Kiwi jersey. I lost a bit of weight to try and slim down. Now I am back in the forwards, I am struggling to put weight back on to handle the physical (side of the game)."
McClennan refused to comment but Sunday News has been told Faumuina's on-field performances are not the only reason he is on the outer with the Kiwis.
A source said his bad off-field behaviour had contributed to his not being picked.
Faumuina - who in 2004 publicly vowed never to touch alcohol again - is adamant he did not have a drinking problem, despite his behaviour at Guttenbeil's testimonial and a string of other incidents.
In January 2004, he said: "I will drink until I collapse. When I drink like that, that's when the problems begin to happen. I won't drink again."
His vow came after he king-hit New Zealand Sevens rugby star Alan Bunting in a Whakatane bar.
Faumuina said he was stunned by the venom of Warriors fans after the Bunting attack became public.
He said he was abused by the crowd at Ericsson Stadium after the Warriors were beaten by the Broncos in the season-opener.
"As we were going back into the tunnel people were swearing at me, telling me to `f... off', `don't ever come back' and `you should never be a Warrior'.
"It was when I had gone off the rails a bit - my mind wasn't on footy. It was after the Whakatane incident.
"I honestly wanted to cry in the changing rooms - I didn't want to play any more. It was sad because my mum was just a few rows behind them."
But five months after the Whakatane incident, a blood-covered Faumuina had an early-morning confrontation with a Warriors fan at a south Auckland ATM machine -earning him a suspended $20,000 fine from the NRL club's bosses.
And last year he was involved in an altercation outside an Auckland bar following the Warriors 2005 annual awards dinner.
Faumuina, 25, put part of the blame for his bad behaviour on his frustration at the Warriors' recent poor on-field performances in recent seasons.
"After 2002-03 (when they made the top-four in consecutive seasons), I honestly thought we would go back to the old Warriors," he said.
"Then 2004 came along and we had a pretty bad season.
"Last year we had big expectations and didn't provide the performances and this year again there was the minus four points."
